Page 2 of Break Out

I raise a hand to my lips. But hot damn. That was arguably the best kiss of my life. My gaze flits from masked partygoer to masked partygoer, expecting to see Brody’s brooding face lurking around a corner.

But I don’t.

My mystery kisser is standing there staring at me, and for once I’m thankful for this mask, because he doesn’t know who I am, and I don’t know who he is.

I plan to keep it that way.

I don’t want to know who he is.

No, I’d much rather let this kiss be an anonymous New Year’s kiss. Yeah, that’s what it’ll be. He opens his mouth to say something I assume but I don’t hang around to find out. With a shake of my head, I turn and hightail it toward the house and away from the rest of the party.

Get it together.

I’m not usually that brazen, that daring, kissing a guy I don’t know. Blame it on the alcohol. Although I only had two drinks tonight. Fine, blame it on the fact that I’m lonely and can’t remember the last time I kissed a guy.

Groaning, I tear off my mask, searching for Brody. My chest is tight as I turn around and search the backyard for my best friend, but he’s nowhere to be found.

What if the guy I kissed tells Brody?

I can imagine how that conversation would go. The logical part of my brain tries to reason that there’s no way he’d know it was me. I mean, I was wearing a mask. It was dark in the backyard.

Ugh, where is Brody?

Maybe he found someone to kiss at midnight and now he’s preoccupied. I pull out my phone from my clutch and send him a text.

Me: I’m going to get an Uber back to my hotel.

His response is instantaneous.

Brody: Ubers don’t come into the complex. I’ll be right there.

I throw up my hand in frustration and open the sliding glass door, stepping into the living room. Now what do I do? Wait for Brody? I’m still reeling from that kiss. What if I blurt out that I kissed one of his teammates? Or what if he knows that I kissed someone?

Before I can decide, Hannah–the wife of Brody’s teammate and one of his closest friends, Cole–walks toward me.

“Aubrey, you okay?” she asks, glancing around, probably looking for Brody.

I take a deep breath, trying to pull myself together. “Tired and ready for bed.”

She studies me for a second before she hooks her thumb over her shoulder. “Cole and I are leaving if you need a ride. Or are you waiting for Brody?”

“I think he’s staying,” I say, the lie slipping out of my mouth. “If it’s not too much trouble. Or drop me at the front gate and I’ll get an Uber.”

“Nonsense. We’ll drive you.”

“Hey Aubrey. Ready Han?” Cole asks, walking up and wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist.

“Yeah. I told Aubrey we’d give her a ride. Where are you staying?” Hannah asks, leaning into Cole. He nods and I follow them to the front door.

“The Marriott on Eaglewood Drive.” As much as Brody protests and tells me I can stay with him, I always stay in a hotel. I like my space. I like not having to worry about waking him up. And tonight, I’m even more grateful I don’t have to go back to his condo and see him after I kissed a random stranger.

I should wait and say good night to him, but I can’t. Part of me is disappointed that he’s not the one I got to kiss at midnight.

Is that why I’m fleeing?

I shake my head and climb into the backseat of Cole’s SUV. This is turning into one hell of a New Year. I hope it isn’t an indication of what this year is going to bring. I take my phone out and send him a text before shoving it back into my clutch.

Me: Cole and Hannah are giving me a ride to the hotel.